What is a good presentation for a Photography portfolio that is being sent to a University?

Emma Pi: What is a good presentation for a Photography portfolio that is being sent to a University?
I am applying to university in the fall, and I need some good ideas to showcase my photography without being…

1. Cheesy
2. Uncreative

I’m doing both black and white, and colour photography.
I’m aware of putting my photos on a black background, and I don’t need that much help with the arranging aspect, I just need to know how to showcase it.

Any ideas?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Tabitha
Well you may want to look into the schools you are planning on attending. Some only want slides sent. Others want an interview and discuss your goals with your images at that time. I know of some that want digital images only. Others don’t really need to see your work until you are actually attending. And some may want you to start with new images and nothing of your older work.

But it is ALWAYS a good idea to have your own portfolio. Something to remember, make you have several and they are always changing and moving.

So, if you have to do slides, make sure you know someplace that does them well and don’t cost an arm and a leg. Most pro labs can now take digital hi res images and print them on slides there. Those really the best places to go that way you can control the color and cropping before sending.

As for the digital images, some people put them on a CD and send them on down. That works for most cases but shows very little creativity. I know of some people who do slide shows of their images. That is a step up but not by much now that there are a million places to go online now to do that, but it is a good place to start for some ideas in that manner. This is an area where I think it is getting to be cheesy just because everyone is doing it and it does not take the amount of time that it once did.

But I am guessing by what you said that you are talking more of prints. I would say the best way is the most contemporary idea of it. Only because you want the images to speak for themselves. So you could do this in several ways.

It also depends on the the size of your images and if you will be getting them back or not. I would avoid the “binding book” type of thing and go with a basic black portfolio and put an image on the right side and information on the left. Also, best to do is make sure they aren’t just printed images of yours. I know for experience that universities don’t want to see a body of your work. Some of this and some of that, they want to see you work more on a series with an explanation or artist statement.

If you have any other questions about it feel free to contact me.